Parenting tips on how to inspire “Patriotism” in children.

Patriotism is love for our country and loyalty towards it. Patriotism is about honouring the people of our country, its diverse culture, languages and religion. It is not that we dislike other countries, but it is appreciating and accepting our country people as brothers and sisters. Here are some parenting tips on how to inspire patriotism in children.

Patriotism is feeling proud of the country’s diverse harmony of religion, diversity in geography and on the military powerhouse.

It means knowing Nations history, its achievements, positive contribution to culture, famous landmarks, traditions, literature, history everything or anything about the Nation.

“Patriotism should not limit only with cricket matches and National days like Independence or Republic Days.”

It should reflect on our day to day duties. Patriotism is performing one’s duties as a student, teacher, lawyer, professional, businessman or a politician with loyalty, sincerity and honesty.

Why do we lack patriotism?

1 Lack the sense of responsibility to safeguard the country:

There are thousands of vacancies lying vacant in armed forces, but they do not get bright young people to serve the Nation. Students prefer to study in Institutions like IIMs and IITs and move to better places.

People of India are obsessed to more earning and living in had developed country today even the small kids will tell you on the world map that where is the US and UK Germany but they are not able to locate Kargil and Siachen in the graph of India.

Right from birth, the only target of education is to study hard to get a good job and earn more. Nowadays people are moving out to different developed countries like US, UK or Singapore and get settled there.

We need to question ourselves whether we respect our soldiers or we say for the sake of speaking. Neither parents nor teachers ever tell the children to join the army as their career.

2 Negligence of fundamental duties:

Our Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi launched swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and people blame him for the failure of the campaign. It is surprising that people do not realise their duty to make this campaign a success. People do not understand that this is every citizen’s responsibility to work for the cleanliness of the country.

It is not only the PM’s duty to clean the whole country. Everyone should contribute to make it a success. We are experts to blame others and forget to do our part.

Loving the country does not mean only to address its shortcomings, but it is to emphasise on the positive side of it.

3 Not recognising the Value of Freedom:

We do not learn the history and economic conditions of the country. Today people are enjoying independence and peaceful life. But they have no realisation of the extent of sacrifices and struggle our leaders and people did to get the freedom.

The life which we are leading is a gift by the people who lost everything including their lives in the freedom struggle. Our lives are indebted to brave soldiers who spend their lives safeguarding the borders to take care of our safety and freedom.

We need to ask ourselves, do we value their sacrifices?

4 Lack of gratification:

It leads to dissatisfaction with achievements in life regarding money, power and wealth. Due to dissatisfaction, a person can make some mistakes and law-breaking acts.

What should we do to develop a feeling of Patriotism among children?

The feeling of Patriotism has to take place from the beginning because a seed grows to a tree only if it is watered suitably from the start. If the kids understand the real meaning of patriotism, they would have a profound impact on their mindsets. After all, they are still forming the perception of the things around them.

So, here are a few points by which parents can learn about the things which are essential to developing the sense of patriotism among their children.

1 Teaching children to be honest:

Honesty is the essential qualityone must have to be a patriotic person.

Everyone wants their children to be honest and never to cheat. However, sometimes they do not follow the right strategies to teach children to be truthful.

Some parents believe that children have the temperament to lie and parents must punish their dishonesty. But this is not a right belief.

So because of this wrong belief parents make a mistake in handling the children. After knowing the mistakes of children, parents confront the children with anger and threats.

They become harsh and punishable to the children. As a result, the children feel afraid of telling the truth about their mistakes.

Therefore, to let the children confess their dishonesty without fear of rejection, the parents must make their children feel comfortable. Here is an example to understand how parents should teach honesty to the children.

Suppose the parents find the child with a cute pencil box which he brought from the school. It does not belong to him neither he received it as a gift.

So in place of asking him that he has the stolen the pencil box from the school, parents should encourage the child to speak the truth. They should be compassionate with the child so that the child does not feel afraid, to be truthful.

In place of this approach, if the parents confront the child harshly, the child, in turn, will be frightened and so he will lie or fight.

The child will deny admitting what he has done. It takes great courage, to confess and always come naturally. Parent should teach their child to be brave enough to be truthful.

Hence, it depends upon the parents how efficiently they can teach the children to be brave enough to see what he has done.

There are three tips to help the kids to understand honesty:

Firstly, The parents should talk to their children about the importance of morality in the family. They must tell them how important it is for all of you to trust each other and be frank even if it is difficult to say.

Secondly,Parents are the role models for the children and therefore parents must always be honest with the children. There may be some questions which are not age appropriate to answer to the children, and they may be embarrassing for the children to tell the truth, but it must be tackled smartly and give the convincing answer to the children so that they also feel the responsibility being honest for any subject matter.

The children should have trust that the parents will always be there to support, protect and fight for them until they are true to their parents.

Because if there is a lie between any relationships, the relationship breaks and then it takes a lot of time to rebuild that same trust again.

When the children understand the difference in both the outcomes, they realise that honesty is better for them. They also understand that being honest is more important for the parent then the punishment.

These are the ways by which the parents can teach their children to be honest. Once the children learn to be honest with the parents, they will forever remain honest with any everyone because they have developed a personality which can deal with the confrontation at any stage of life.

2 Develop the feeling of gratification:

Gratification is an emotional state when a person feels fulfilled and happy with what he/she has in life.

We see in the society that people run after material things like money, power and wealth to attain more and more. They do not feel satisfied with their achievements.

They suffer from anxiety and stress. Lack of the sense of gratification is the cause of their pain.

Parents play an essential role in shaping the value system in children. So to develop the sense of gratification in children, parents must know the following things:

Firstly,All infants are born with a natural desire for love, nutrition, care, attention and conversation. In some cases, however, sources of such things-especially caregivers-may be absent or unavailable.

The situation can be natural and indispensable, such as the untimely death of parents, or from the time of famine.

Secondly, Another common factor is the availability of other choices in place of caregiver itself. Imagine, for example, a parent who fails to provide nurturing but out of guilt offers lots of gifts in the form of money, toys, chocolates, and TVs.

The message a parent sends to the child is that the child cannot get parents for his needs but can find the joy from all the gifts.

Parents do not realize that no amount of TV or chocolate can match the joy of human contact. But the child learns to do with whatever is available. Whatever the circumstances, the effect on the child is a sense of deprivation.

Infants experience lack or not enough of required attention. This feeling of deprivation sometimes remains in their subconscious mind and makes them feel restless throughout life.

Therefore parents must make sure that they are providing enough attention to the children. They must plan to have a childonly when they have enough time and resources for their children’s upbringing.

If for some unavoidable reasons, the parents are unable to give enough time to their children, they must explain its reason to the children. Parents must develop a relationship of trust and unconditional love between them and the children.

The parents must convey to their children that they love them and want to stay with them but due to the circumstances they are unable to do so.

If the children are convinced with the reason of parents’ absence, they do not develop the feeling of deprivation. Instead, they become more responsible and cooperating children.

Thirdly, Sometimes have their insecurities and ambitions which they pass on to their children. Because of these feelings, they do not feel much satisfaction with the performance of children. This makes the children feel stressed and disappointed.

Therefore the parents need to check their fears and insecurities so that they do not pass the same to their children. Let the children grow in a loving, caring and fearless environment. Let the children become emotionally healthy to lead a peaceful and gratifying life. The children who are accepted the way they are; always do their best in life. They truly live a simple, honest and contented life.

Only simple, honest and happy people can be real patriots.

3. Parents and teachers play a significant role in developing a sense of pride for the country in children.

Parents must teach children to respect national symbols like the national flag and national anthem etc. They should be taught decorum like standing on the national anthem.

National holidays should be celebrated in schools and homes as festivals.National holidays do not mean just another day for your children when they do not go to school and spend their time playing or in other activities.

Let the children take part in programs like singing and dancing in the schools or nearby communities.

Parents should raise the national flag at the top of the roof to get a sense of special occasion. Take them to see the parade in nearby areas.

Parents can tell the story of freedom struggle and sacrifices of freedom fighters. Children should read books on leaders. They will get inspired and understand their ideology, sacrifices and actions.

Patriotic movies and documentaries on freedom struggle must be shown to the children.

They can learn about their history and the sacrifices by watching the film. Visuals have a more significant impact than theory.

4. Parents should encourage the children to take part in NCC, i.e. National Cadet Corps in which they learn to lead a life of military discipline and fitness.

It gives them insight into the lives of the people who are serving as military personnel. NCC helps to introduce a feeling of Patriotism among the students.

5. The teachers and parents must introduce the children with the career option in Armed force services.

Like other career options, children must be explained the importance and facilities given in the in the services and the need of the country to fulfil the vacancies in these jobs.

6. We all feel motivated from our role models.

So the parents can let their children know about the lives of the Living Legends.

By making the children know about the lifestyles and contribution of living legends to the children is the best motivation hack.

The children get motivated with honesty and sincerity of the people with whom they can relate themselves. So the parents should share positive things happening in the Nation as well as in other countries.

7. The culture of cleanliness:

In Japan, students are supposed to clean the classrooms by themselves. So they develop a habit of cleanliness and maintain cleanliness at every place of the country.

This promotes a culture of considering the country as their homes. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is an initiative taken by PM Mr Narendra Modi to join the people across the country to make the Nation clean and beautiful.

Parents must take part in the campaign and encourage the children to participate in the same actively.

Children must be taught to preserve National properties. They should follow fundamental rules and civic rules.

8. Visiting Historical places:

Parents should take their kids to historical and places of patriotic significance. Children enjoy visiting national museums and monuments. Parents should tell them the stories related to them.

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